THE DERWENT DISTRICT. 1 97 



2. The Dysgeogenous hills. — These are a range of calcareous 

 hills which are somewhat lower in altitude than those which have 

 been already mentioned, and which extend from the coast at 

 Scarborough westward as far as the watershed of the district in 

 that direction. They are due south of the hills of the eugeo- 

 genous range, and based upon their slope, with usually a steep 

 escarpment towards the north, and a gradual slope in the direc- 

 tion of the low level country which borders them on the south. 

 In breadth from north to south they vary from four to ten miles. 

 The streams which take their rise amongst the northern range 

 have to run through that of which we are now speaking before 

 they reach the Derwent. These hills are usually much drier 

 and more grassy than the others, the slopes of those parts of the 

 dales which they enclose being steep, and often covered with 

 dense woods. The range is also highest towards its western 

 extremity, and grows gradually lower as we pass eastward. It 

 margins with low cliffs the greater part of the coast from Scar- 

 borough southward to Filey. 



2. The Vale of Pickering. — This is a tract of flat low-lying 

 cultivated country on the south of the calcareous hills, which 

 extends from the coast inland for thirty miles. A large portion 

 of it is not elevated so much as loo feet above the sea-level, 

 and the vale is much intersected by streams, and contains a 

 considerable surface of carrs and low marsh-land. The Uerwent 

 runs through it from east to west, and forms the boundary of 

 North Yorkshire on the south ; and upon that side the Vale is 

 bounded by the Chalk Wolds of the East Riding. With the 

 exception of Scarborough, all the towns of the drainage district 

 are either actually in this tract or very near the edge of it. 



4. The Howardian tract. — This comprises two narrow parallel 

 terraces, which extend from the calcareous hills eastward to the 

 Derwent, and which are situated on the south-west of the Vale 

 of Pickering, and separate it from the great Central Vale of 

 York. The northern terrace is composed of calcareous rocks of 



Jan. 1889. 



